Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Infant feeding

Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

Flip

Original poster

Please help, breastfeeding so painful!!

15 replies

AliB1 · 05/03/2011 20:20

Hi
I am new to this forum and hoping for some advice. I am a new first time mum and really struggling feeding my 4 week old baby. He wants to feed every two hours or so and it is becoming increasingly painful. I have had the latch checked by midwife and HV and told it was fine. Thing is pain isn't in the nipple as much as feels like knives shooting through the breast and continues inbetween feeds. It is especially painful when I feed and I have resorted to having to take painkillers, expressing or using nipple guards (which I really don't like as they seem to cause wind in my son). I really, really want to continue breast feeding my son but not sure how long I can put up with this. Could it be thrush, I had two doses of antibiotics in labour and tend to contract thrush every time I go on antibiotics, how can I tell if it is or is the latch still incorrect. any advice very welcome.

P.S. Want to add that I am loving motherhood apart from this hurdle and my son is an angel when not feeding!

OP posts:

crikeybadger · 05/03/2011 20:33

The knives in the breast does sound like thrush tbh.

Does the pain continue after the feed?

Here is a great leaflet from the BfN about thrush.

Also here to diagnose the pain.

Might be worth printing out the leaflets if you visit the doctors.

lgmum2b · 05/03/2011 20:33

The general rule is that if they are latched on correctly and their bodies properly supported breastfeeding should not hurt.
My little one is 16 days old and was a nipple chomper at the start but we seem to be making better progress. I'm giving my nipples a bit of a break by expressing too and haven't encountered any problems with her taking a bottle and then back to breast.
Before you give up - check out a local breastfeeding support clinic where you can go and get 121 help to ensure everything is ok.
Just remember your both new to this and learning so fingers crossed it gets better soon for you.
x

Hermya321 · 05/03/2011 20:40

Hello Ali, welcome to MN!!!

Well done on getting this far, it can be tough getting things going.

Have you always had this pain? Or has there been a period of time when you have had pain free feedings?

Also is your nipple cracked and sore? Also does it look sort of pearly? When I was suspected of having thrush, someone asked me this as well. Here is a leaflet from the Breastfeeding Network about thrush and it's common symptons.

Have you looked in your babies mouth as well, does he have a white sort of rash in his mouth like www.google.co.uk/images?um=1&hl=en&biw=995&bih=588&tbs=isch%3A1&sa=1&q=oral+thrush+in+babies&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&oq= (they're pictures of oral thrush in babies)? If so it might be thrush.

NonnoMum · 05/03/2011 20:42

I'm no expert but does sound like thrush to me.

Poor you - good HVs can often pick this up (this is what happened to me...)

Original poster

AliB1 · 05/03/2011 20:45

Hi
thanks for the advice so far, in response to the questions, pain continues between feeds but feels like pins and needles, feeding was fine until about six days ago when it suddenly changed and has increased in pain since then, my nipple does look like a pearl, especially on the left breast where pain is worse but I cannot see any obvious cracks in either nipple. My baby doesn't show any obvious signs...Thanks for the advice!!

OP posts:

Hermya321 · 05/03/2011 20:55

It does sound like thrush tbh, you can go to your doctors and get some treatment or you can try some of the herbal stuff like Gentian Violet and the like. A lot of people have had positive results from this.

This thread has some brilliant stuff on how to deal with thrush if thats what it is.

Also Kellymoms page on Thrush.

TittyBojangles · 05/03/2011 21:29

If you get treated for thrush make sure they treat your LO too otherwise you'll just pass it back anf forth between you. Print out the leaflet on treatments to take to the gp just in case.

NotQuiteCockney · 05/03/2011 21:35

The relatively sudden onset does sound like thrush, please go to your GP.

The BFN do a good leaflet on thrush, .

NonnoMum · 05/03/2011 22:15

Congrats on baby - forgot to say!

japhrimel · 06/03/2011 08:09

Shooting pains and pins and needles really sounds like thrush. When I had my nipples and baby seemed fine at first too.

japhrimel · 06/03/2011 08:09

When I had thrush

washngo · 06/03/2011 08:27

Hi, I agree it sounds like thrush. I would see your gp and tell them what you're feeling. Have you looked in your babys mouth for signs too? I think if it's thrush the advice is that you both be treated to prevent recurrence. I'd ditch the nipple guards unless they really help, but I imagine they don't unless there's nipple pain as well as shooting pain...I'm sure it will get easier for you. I found breastfeedig horrendously painful at first but it got better after a few weeks. (then dd had to have antibiotics and we both got thrush, which was painful again but fine once sorted).

runningrach · 06/03/2011 15:44

I have had very similar symptoms to you Ali and persisted for 3 months til private lact consultant suggested thrush. I'm not through it yet but just want to say that you may need to insist on getting access to prescribed medication for it as so many nurses, doctors and even specialist ob/gyn seem to have no idea about thrush. Dr Jack NEwman website also has a flyer about milk duct thrush which may be helpful to take to a doc. The biggest issue I had was everyone looking in my baby's mouth and saying no she has no signs of thrush I don't think thats the problem.

In my case after 3 months and a number of dreadful experiences with stupid nurse in uk and ignorant gp in switzerland (where I had baby although I had all my prenatal care in UK) there was nothing else left to try and I finally got topical treatment which I think helped a bit but didn't cure, then an ob/gyn agreed to prescribe me fluconazole even though a surface swab did not find thrush, and I started it last night. UNfortunately I have had terrible side effects - severe vomiting - although this is not supposed to be common, and I hope will subside, if it doesn;t or if this doesn't cure it I will be calling time on bf when dd is 15 weeks old!

Btw I finally got the fluconazole in Switzerland and it cost me about £120 for a 2 week course so be grateful for NHS!

Original poster

AliB1 · 06/03/2011 18:38

Thankyou all, will go to GP first thing tomorrow!

OP posts:

ellangirl · 06/03/2011 20:38

I had thrush in milk ducts, but got vasospasms with it- they are quite often linked and that might be part of what is causing your pain. I had such problems that I had stopped feeding by 9 weeks as my supply got so low and DS was losing so much weight. The point of my telling you that is to nag those doctors and make them help you!! Do not take no for an answer until they give you something to make it better :o I wish I had got the right help earlier.

Flip